Before you go back to school, check these off your end of summer bucket list

As bathing suits are replaced with oxford shirts and school polos and college students pack up, summertime lovers hang onto the season’s final thread. And while there isn’t enough vacation time to travel the world, South Florida is full of fun options to make the final weeks of summer last.

Here are best bets to make the most of the sweet days of summer.

Books & Books

At 10 a.m. Aug. 25, Books & Books’ Coral Gables store, 265 Aragon Ave., will celebrate Syd Hoff. Hoff, the Miami Beach-based author of Danny & the Dinosaur and Sammy the Seal, has an exhibit of his life work at the Miami Beach Regional Library, 227 22nd St., which runs through Oct. 1. In honor of the exhibit and the author’s literary accomplishments, Books & Books will celebrate with “storytelling, treats, games and much more.”

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At 6 p.m. Aug. 19, the day before school begins, the store will have a free screening of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Watch the wizards and witches in their final battle in the final film of the enchanting saga. Seating is limited, so don’t hesitate to arrive earlier for dinner or dessert at the bookstore’s café.

August’s events will end at 6 p.m. on the 26th with the appearance of Martin Amis, author of Lionel Asbo: State of England. The novel has comedy, criminality, love, and Amis will be at Books & Books to answer questions and share secrets about the writing process. Tickets are free and available at the store’s Coral Gables, Miami Beach and Bal Harbour Shops locations.

16th Brazilian Film Festival of Miami

Movie marathons, the scent of butter melting upon salted popcorn and hours spent in plush theater seats will soon be over for those who must return to school.

For one last fix, The Inffinito Festival Circuit returns to Miami for the 16th Brazilian Film Festival from Aug. 18-24. The opening night will be at the New World Center, off 17th Street in Miami Beach, with a free screening of The Clown, by Selton Mello.

From Aug. 19-24 the Miami Beach Cinematheque, 1130 Washington Ave., will present special screenings and from Aug. 22-25, the Colony Theater, 1040 Lincoln Rd. will be home of the competitive screening program.

Approximately 22 Brazilian productions, including documentaries, short films, and full length films, will be presented.

Pour a mug full of coffee, throw the pop tarts in the car and drive to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station to witness two spacecrafts as they’re launched into space.

The mission has been carried out by the Applied Physics Laboratory at Johns Hopkins University and will essentially set rockets “in elliptical orbits to study Earth’s radiation belts and probe the influences of the sun.”

Ayesha’s Kitchen

Instead of ordering in a pizza and melting by the pool, Ayesha’s Kitchen, 9105 SW 115th Terr., offers a unique, healthy cooking experience for all those willing to learn.

From 11 a.m. to noon on Aug. 25th, Ayesha D’Mello will teach the secrets to cooking chicken curry. From 12 to 3 p.m. on Aug. 26, those eager enough to step up to the stove will learn how to create an exotic vegetarian feast.

Classes include copies of the recipes, an introduction to Indian spices, the teaching of six to eight dishes, tips and techniques for Indian cooking, and a sit-down meal.

Fees start at $75 a class per aspiring chef. Register at Ayeshakitche.com/registration.

Sweat Records

There will be burgers, sorbet, music, and free alcohol, the most delectable ingredients for the perfect end of summer.

Vinyl, CD, and book prices will be marked off, DJs Hottpants and Ashworth will be spinning, Mushaboom Food Truck and Real Sorbet will be serving, Subvert Ales will have brew tastings, and free spiked punch will be flowing.

Miami Art Museum

For the days of violent rain pours, Miami Art Museum, 101 W. Flagler St. , offers two exhibits that will distract the thoughts of sandy beaches and delightfully warm swims.

Kimsooja’s exhibit, A Needle Woman, is a video installation with peeks into Cairo, Delhi, Lagos, London, Mexico City, New York, Shanghai, and Tokyo.

Additionally, José Bedia’s exhibit, set to be displayed until Sept. 2, is a collection of 35 works exploring “Bedia’s ancestral genealogy (Cuba) and his constructed genealogy in the ‘other’ Americas.”

Additionally, every second Saturday the museum has a Free for Families day. The day includes interactive activities for children and adults, guided tours, and occasional appearances of guest artists.

Miami Art Museum is open from Tuesday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and from noon to 5 p.m. weekends. Admission for exhibits varies with age.

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